No. 1572 - Deloraine - Holy Redeemer Catholic Presbytery (1899-2002)
This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches.These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including of those that no longer exist.
This blog entry is adapted from an article published in the Meander Valley Gazette. It was written by Mark Butson who now owns the former Catholic presbytery located on West Goderich Street. The house was used as a presbytery from 1899 to 2002.
“The original Georgian style house was built in 1888 by Mary Terry and bought from the Terry family by the church in 1899, along with another acre of land around the house for gardens and stables. The Church of the Holy Redeemer was built in 1886…Opposite the Church, Blakes Manor…built in 1861 served as the first Presbytery from 1871 to 1895.
Archdeacon Michael Beechinor was the Priest from 1894. In 1895 he arranged for 4 nuns from Goulburn in NSW to establish a Convent School in Deloraine. The nuns moved into the first Presbytery and started a school there. Beechinor moved into a timber cottage behind the church and cemetery. He was uncomfortable living alongside a cemetery, and rented a house in town until 1899, when he persuaded the Church to buy the Terry family home for use as the Presbytery.
High teas were held regularly at the Presbytery for the Church choir and parishioners. After a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France, Beechinor presented lectures on the subject and had a grotto built behind the Presbytery…where he regularly held prayer services.
From 1908, Father Peter O’Reilly was the priest and he organised renovations to the Presbytery. Living in Deloraine from 1917 to 1918, the Tasmanian Opposition Leader and his wife, Joseph and enid Lyons, were regularly guests at the Presbytery after Sunday services….. From 1920 until he died in 1944, Monsignor Monaghan was the priest. In 1930 he engaged Mr Beer, a Melbourne architect with expertise in the Federation style, to design the superb elevated front to the Presbytery. The Presbytery gardens were also improved with the planting of many magnificent roses and spring bulbs. Weddings and baptisms were regularly held in the grand front rooms from 1930”.
In the article Mark Butson mentions stories about secret tunnels built between the church, presbytery and convent. These tunnels have been exposed during road excavations but their purpose is not known.
Sources and further information:
This blog entry is adapted from an article published in the Meander Valley Gazette. It was written by Mark Butson who now owns the former Catholic presbytery located on West Goderich Street. The house was used as a presbytery from 1899 to 2002.
“The original Georgian style house was built in 1888 by Mary Terry and bought from the Terry family by the church in 1899, along with another acre of land around the house for gardens and stables. The Church of the Holy Redeemer was built in 1886…Opposite the Church, Blakes Manor…built in 1861 served as the first Presbytery from 1871 to 1895.
Archdeacon Michael Beechinor was the Priest from 1894. In 1895 he arranged for 4 nuns from Goulburn in NSW to establish a Convent School in Deloraine. The nuns moved into the first Presbytery and started a school there. Beechinor moved into a timber cottage behind the church and cemetery. He was uncomfortable living alongside a cemetery, and rented a house in town until 1899, when he persuaded the Church to buy the Terry family home for use as the Presbytery.
High teas were held regularly at the Presbytery for the Church choir and parishioners. After a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France, Beechinor presented lectures on the subject and had a grotto built behind the Presbytery…where he regularly held prayer services.
From 1908, Father Peter O’Reilly was the priest and he organised renovations to the Presbytery. Living in Deloraine from 1917 to 1918, the Tasmanian Opposition Leader and his wife, Joseph and enid Lyons, were regularly guests at the Presbytery after Sunday services….. From 1920 until he died in 1944, Monsignor Monaghan was the priest. In 1930 he engaged Mr Beer, a Melbourne architect with expertise in the Federation style, to design the superb elevated front to the Presbytery. The Presbytery gardens were also improved with the planting of many magnificent roses and spring bulbs. Weddings and baptisms were regularly held in the grand front rooms from 1930”.
In the article Mark Butson mentions stories about secret tunnels built between the church, presbytery and convent. These tunnels have been exposed during road excavations but their purpose is not known.
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| The former presbytery on West Goderich Street. Photo: realestate.com |
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| The former presbytery on West Goderich Street. Photo: realestate.com |
Sources and further information:
The Meander Valley Gazette, June 2008.
Southerwood, W. T. Planting a faith in Tasmania : the country parishes / [by] W. T. Southerwood [W. T. Southerwood] [Hobart] 1977
Bennett, Maureen. Shamrock in the clover / Maureen Bennett Regal Press, Launceston, Tas. 1987
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